August 12, 1981: IBM Releases First PC

The Apple II had been, and would continue to be, a huge success for Apple. Industry watchers knew, however, that the nascent personal computer industry wouldn't be legitimized until a major player joined the fray. That major player was IBM.

IBM entered the market with a command line based machine, a machine the Mac wizards at Apple found disappointing. Most disappointed by the OS the Mac team also found the design to lack cleverness and features.

While the only innovative thing about the IBM PC may have been the fact that it was made by IBM, businesses took the machine very seriously and it outsold the Apple II less than two years after it's introduction this week in 1981.